Slovak Football Association Parts Ways with National Team Coach Francesco Calzona

The prospects for Calzona’s future as the head coach of Slovakia were deliberated on Monday by a four-member panel. This group included SFZ vice-president for the national team, Karol Belanik; SFZ vice-president for professional football, Ivan Kozak; executive committee member for coaches, Ján Kocian; and the association’s technical director, Oto Brunegraf.

“At our meeting, we could not come to an agreement regarding the terms of future collaboration. SFZ proposed a two-year contract, which he did not accept, preferring a longer arrangement.”

“As a result, negotiations concerning his continuation with the Slovak national team have been terminated. The SFZ extends its gratitude to him and his staff for their efforts on behalf of the national team and the positive contributions they have made to the sport and its achievements,” stated Juraj Curny, the SFZ press representative, during Monday’s media briefing.

“Notably, I would like to highlight the outstanding performance of our national team during the European Championship 2024, including the remarkable win against Germany in last September’s qualifiers.”

“The committee responsible for selecting the national coach will proceed with its work as per its established plan, which included this eventuality. The SFZ will ensure that football fans and the wider public are informed of any developments and outcomes,” Curny added.

Calzona stepped into the role of head coach for the Slovakia national team on 30 August 2022. Under his leadership, the squad reached the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, where they narrowly lost to England 2-1 after extra time.

In the qualification process for the 2026 World Cup, Slovakia finished second in Group A behind Germany, gaining another opportunity to qualify through the play-offs. Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed after suffering a 4-3 defeat to Kosovo in the semi-finals, marking the second time in history that Slovakia failed to qualify for the World Cup finals.

The inability to secure qualification meant there was no automatic renewal of Calzona’s contract, which ended on 31 March. On that date, he was still at the helm during a friendly match that saw Slovakia triumph 2-0 over Romania.

“There is certainly ample opportunity ahead, but I would like to take this moment to express my gratitude on behalf of Slovak football for all the efforts he has put forth as national coach since the summer of 2022,” commented Belanik.

Consequently, the SFZ is in search of a new national coach. Belanik did not disclose whether a candidate has already been identified.

“That responsibility lies with the committee, which aims to ensure that the selection process remains straightforward and free from unnecessary complications. They will not release information that lacks relevance or verification, but will only communicate what is substantiated and meaningful. The committee’s primary focus is to appoint a national coach and will prioritise all related tasks,” Curny added.